


snow melt

by ferne



Series: flavors of your heart [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Also Eren wears oversized sweaters, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College Student Eren Yeager, Eren Yeager Has Heterochromia Iridum, Honestly he's completely smitten with Eren, Levi Has Feelings (Shingeki no Kyojin), M/M, SO MUCH TEA, Tea-drinking, levi has a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27171907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ferne/pseuds/ferne
Summary: Eren’s an assassin, sent here to kill him.That’s the only possible explanation as to why the man would be wearing an apron, bopping about to the beat of the song as he scrubs dishes in Levi’s kitchen. It’s the only logical reason.He stands there, for at least fifteen seconds, just watching, until he realizes just how fucking creepy that is and forces himself to look elsewhere.A short sequel featuring Levi and Eren's dinner fromsweet cinnamon, this time from Levi's perspective. Would strongly suggest reading the other fic first for context, though this could stand on its own potentially
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Series: flavors of your heart [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900930
Comments: 6
Kudos: 154





	snow melt

If Levi thought that the night before was chaotic, the universe seems out to prove him wrong, based solely upon the complete and utter shitshow that is his morning. 

His alarm wakes him up at five thirty, and while this normally wouldn’t be a problem, when he cracks his eyes open, it feels like someone’s taken sandpaper to his corneas because,  _ holy shit he did not get enough sleep _ . Thankfully, whatever self-discipline he’s ingrained in himself kicks in and he resists hitting the snooze button, instead staggering out to the kitchen to fill and flip on the kettle before heading to the bathroom and stepping into an ice cold shower. It’s the rudest possible awakening, but at the very least the freezing water drives away some of his sleepiness (it doesn’t; however, help with the clumsiness that comes with exhaustion. He knocks down all of the bath products in his shower and cuts himself shaving). 

It’s only when he’s half-way through making himself a strong up of Irish breakfast tea that he realizes something is distinctly different about his living room. Namely the soft, huffs of breath coming from the heap of blankets on his couch. 

Eren.

As if on cue, the man in question mumbles something in his sleep and rolls over so that his face is visible. Damn it. Though Levi recalled that Eren was attractive, he’s really not ready for the overwhelming cuteness that is him sleeping peacefully. He’s bundled up tightly beneath quilts that Levi’s mother has gifted him over the years, hair sticking up in every direction, mouth slightly parted as he lets out little puffs of breath. And, to top it all off, as if Levi wasn’t already in danger of a heart attack, Lady’s asleep on top of Eren, curled up in a little ball in the space beside his head. 

Levi lets out an audible wheeze, scurrying back behind the kitchen island as though he somehow needs protection from the sleeping figure. 

“Nope, nope, nope,” he hisses, hastily retreating back to his bedroom to gather the rest of the items he needs for work. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long because it’s already pushing six o’clock and his commute, while pleasant, isn’t that brief. 

After steeling himself, he creeps back into the living room. It must be a ridiculous sight, him tip-toeing about his own damn apartment in a suit, but he refuses to risk waking the young man. 

He pauses in the kitchen again. Should he leave a note for Eren? Would that be weird? There’s every likelihood that he’ll wake up and regret ever having dropped by: Levi’s well aware he’s not the best conversationalist and honestly, who wouldn’t be weirded out, waking up in a virtual stranger’s apartment? But, then again, he might need directions. 

_ I’ll leave a note _ , Levi decides.  _ A nice, nonchalant note _ . Once he has it scribbled down on the nearest post-it note, he’s fairly certain that it comes across more as awkward as fuck, but it’s fine. In a final burst of confidence, he jots down his phone number as well. The reason he tells himself is that Eren might want to ask where something is, but deep down, he’s really just hoping it’ll work out as a casual means of getting the other man’s number. 

God, he’s fucked. 

Before slipping on his jacket and shoes, he adds two more items, a mug for tea and a phone charger, both of which Eren will hopefully find useful. Utilitarian and helpful are things Levi can do. Everyone likes usefulness. Sure, it might not actually go anywhere, but it certainly won’t if Levi doesn’t at least demonstrate that he is actually a functioning person who Eren might want to continue seeing.

The drive to work is slow. The roads iced over during the night and despite the road crews best efforts are a slippery nightmare. He arrives at work half an hour late for his teleconference. Thankfully, his explanation of the shit weather is enough to pacify his overseas colleagues and he doesn’t have to bring up the fact that he spent a good few minutes hyperventilating in his car after seeing Eren snuggling with Lady. No, instead the meeting goes smoothly, or as smoothly as any meeting between the three of them can go. Hanji talks more about the local wildlife and cuisine than anything business related and Erwin spends most of the call eyeing Levi with a shrewdness that makes him certain the other man is onto him somehow (even though that is completely unfair and definitely impossible). 

As the day progresses, Levi becomes more and more certain that the universe is conspiring against him to keep him at work longer than usual. He loses track of how many things go to complete shit after their filing system crashes over lunch and he has to spend nearly half an hour haggling with the head of IT to come in and fix it. Petra, the saint that she is, keeps him caffeinated throughout (coffee not tea, tea is meant to be enjoyed, while coffee is to keep him functioning). Thankfully, they do manage to recover the losses, including the painstakingly crafted budget for the upcoming quarter. Levi adds the tech troubles to the laundry-list of things he’ll have to report to Erwin and Hanji during their next teleconference. 

The one upside to his busy day is that it manages to keep him from fixating upon Eren the entire time. Instead, the man goes out of his head entirely until Levi’s clocking out and walking to his car in the company parking garage. It’s still snowing, perhaps more than before, and there’s a frigid wind that seems hellbent on making its way beneath his tightly wrapped scarf. Shit,  _ Eren _ . He hasn't received any panicked texts from him, which is probably a good sign though Levi’s a bit disappointed. Hopefully the kid hasn’t done anything completely idiotic like head out in the storm and instead got a ride from one of his friends or a roommate (privately, he finds himself hoping that Eren did neither—that he’ll head back to his apartment and find the college student waiting, though he knows its impossible). 

“Stop being such a creep,” he mutters to himself, pulling out into the snowy street. “The kid needed help, you helped him. Nothing more to it.” 

He forces his mind blank, focusing instead on the slushy snow covering the roads and the muted songs playing over the radio. It’s easy enough after a long day. To let his mind turn to static as he goes through the motions of the commute home. He makes a brief mental list of what he’ll need to do once he gets home: 

\-  _ Feed Lady _ (she’ll shred his shins otherwise) 

\-  _ Pick up whatever Lady has knocked over  _

\-  _ Play with Lady using the new cat toy Hanji gave him before leaving for their trip  _ (god, his life revolves around his cat doesn’t it? That’s fucking lonely, even for him) 

\-  _ Make tea and dinner _ ( _ make _ might be a stretch, more like ‘choose’ from the array of shitty instant food filling his freezer)

\-  _ Clean _

\-  _ Shower _

\-  _ Read _

\-  _ Sleep _

Is it the most exciting list of things to do? No. But is it something? Sure. And that’s good enough. 

There’s things that he should do, tasks he’s been putting off adding to his daily mental to do list like calling his Mom to figure out their holiday plans (he already knows he’s headed home for an exhausting, but long-overdue reunion with her side of the family) and shovelling off his balcony, but those can both wait for the weekend. 

All these plans go out the window however, when his building comes into sight and he sees that the lights in his living room are  _ clearly on _ and there’s a silhouetted figure bopping around in front of them. What the actual fuck? 

Taking a long breath he pulls into his driveway and parks. Careful to avoid the horn, he turns his car off and rests his forehead against the steering wheel letting out a long sigh. 

The kid’s still there. Upstairs. In his house. Doing god knows what. Part of him is relieved. The weather is still incredibly shit by anyone’s standards and Eren still being here means that he isn’t a ditch-popsicle after sliding off the roads. 

But it also means that Levi is going to have to go up there and talk to him. Again. And even though it’s still _his_ fucking apartment the footing feels different somehow. No doubt Eren will be less frazzled than the night before and will likely pick up on all of Levi’s social ineptitude (not to mention the fact that he already burned through most of his ‘safe’ topics of small talk the night before). 

“What are you doing?” he whispers to himself. “This is exactly what you were hoping for. Just…act normal. Casual.” 

He lets out a groan, straightening up. 

Really, he’s too fucking old for this. 

After checking that the steering wheel didn’t leave an imprint on his forehead (it didn’t), he reluctantly collects his briefcase and gets out of the car. 

He glances up at his windows once more, sees the lights are still there and not in fact a figment of his imagination. Well, no point in freezing his ass off in the snow any longer. 

For the first time, the stairs leading up to his floor don’t feel long enough. This would be so much easier if he lived on the tenth floor of a high rise or something. Somewhere he’d have more than ample time to come up with a smooth, but not overly intimidating (‘more like “bitchy”’ the Hanji-voice in his head corrects). With that many stairs, he’s certain he’d be able to think of something. Instead, his brain supplies him with nothing but panicked gibberish and by the time he comes to a stop at his door, he’s half-tempted to turn around and go drive around the block once more. 

“Get your shit together,” he snaps. “He’s just some college student. Christ.” 

Before he can back out, he grabs the unlocks his door and steps inside, shutting it behind himself quietly. 

The first thing he notices is the music: it’s bright and poppy, with a cheerful voice singing in a language he thinks is German (Erwins fluent, so he’s gotten more than a few earfuls over the years). Second is the smell. It’s rich and savory. Levi's no chef, but he thinks he can pick out cinnamon and...garlic. Whatever it is, it’s fucking delicious and he seriously needs to discover the source. 

Tentatively, he toes off his shoes before creeping further into the apartment. 

Eren’s an assassin, sent here to kill him. 

That’s the only possible explanation as to why the man would be wearing an apron, bopping about to the beat of the song as he scrubs dishes in Levi’s kitchen. It’s the only logical reason. 

He stands there, for at least fifteen seconds, just watching, until he realizes just how fucking creepy that is and forces himself to look elsewhere. 

His eyes land on a baking sheet of small twisted pieces of bread. Slowly stepping closer, he realizes that the delicious garlicky scent is wafting from the small baked goods. Fuck. There’s at least a dozen of them and Levi’s certain he could eat every one in under a minute.

Maybe Eren’s not meant to kill him and it’s just some higher power (like Cupid, or whatever the fuck is up there in charge of romance and other sappy stuff) that wants to see how much of this cuteness Levi can take before his brain short circuits completely. 

Either way, he needs to let Eren know he’s here before he perishes on the spot. 

The food is a good conversation topic, actually. He can just casually ask about what he’s made, and then bam, chit-chat begun. Perfect. 

“What the fuck is this?” Nope. No. Not perfect at all.  _ Why would he say it like that? _

Before he can correct himself Eren yelps, jumping slightly, before whirling around to look at Levi in shock. 

Shit, he’s even cuter after getting some sleep. Too cute. No way in hell is he going to be able to actually look at him and speak properly. Instead, he looks back down at the bread and takes a deep breath before giving it another shot: “Seriously, what are these?” 

Yeah much smoother. Nicely, done. 

“Er..they’re garlic knots?” Eren rubs the back of his neck, going pink. “You know, like garlic bread but...twisty?” 

Well that’s fucking cute. 

“Oh, cool.” Levi turns and heads back to the entryway to hang up his scarf. As he places it on its usual peg he allows himself a moment to scream silently into his coats. Once he recovers, he straightens up and walks back into the kitchen. 

He thought he’d be ready, but the sight of Eren standing there, fiddling with his apron ties while looking horribly (more like  _ adorably _ ) embarrassed is far too much for him so instead of saying anything, he brushes past him and begins washing his hands at the sink. At the very least the sound of running water mixed with Eren’s music makes the place a little less silent. 

Almost as soon as his back is turned, the kid starts talking. The words come fast, a lengthy apology for sticking around Levi’s apartment. He’s scrambling, as though he can’t stitch together his chaotic thoughts quickly enough. As though Levi’s going to suddenly toss him out into the snow if his explanation isn’t good enough. 

Some of the nervous panic fluttering around his chest dissipates, exchanged for an ache because there’s absolutely no way he’d do that (hell, at this rate he’s already coming up for excuses for him to stick around), but it’s painful to know that Eren could even imagine that being his reaction. “Easy, kid. I get it.” 

Eren cuts himself short, mouth still open in surprise. “What?” 

“Honestly, I would have called and told you to stay since the weather’s such a fucking shitshow today, but I don’t have your number and you didn’t call me.” He shrugs. It’s a bit of a rough explanation, but it’ll have to do. “Though I suppose that doesn’t explain all this.”

“I made dinner?” He sounds uncertain, even while surrounded by clear evidence that he did in fact, do just that. 

Levi’s tempted to point out that this looks less like a normal dinner and more like a feast, but that seems too bleak for the moment. Really, when was the last time he had something home-cooked? Most likely the last time he was at Erwin’s prior to him departing for Europe, which easily translates to ‘an embarrassingly long time ago.’

“So you did.” Levi shakes his head. “You’re kinda hard to figure out, you know that?” 

Eren’s face pinches, somehow going impossibly redder. “Says you of all people!” His eyes go wide, as though his outbursts have surprised even himself, and he looks back down at the floor. “I...You really helped me out yesterday and since I hung around all day I figured that making dinner was the least I could do?” 

Whatever teasing remake Levi had prepared turns to dust in his mouth. He’d suspected as much, since there’s not many other explanations one could come up with for the situation, but it’s different hearing it spoken aloud. 

Now it’s Levi’s turn to look down at the floor and his and Eren’s black and mismatched socks, respectively. If he was more eloquent, he’d find a way to explain to the all-too sweet young man that he’s the farthest he could be from mad. In fact, he’d explain that this is the first time since he’s moved in to his reasonably priced, well-kept apartment that it’s felt like anything other than a more-familiar-than-average hotel. The first time that it’s felt...homey. Christ, it’s embarrassing to even think. 

He opens his mouth at the same time that there’s a sharp whistle from the kettle and he just barely holds in his sigh of relief at the diversion. 

So instead of feebly attempting to give voice to any of his thoughts, he instead asks: “What’s that for?” 

“Tea,” Eren answers softly, eyes wandering to somewhere past Levi’s right shoulder. “Look, if I can just borrow a jacket or something, there’s a bus stop not far from here that I can walk to and—” 

“Kid, you aren’t getting it. I’m not mad at you or whatever you're worried about so just calm the fuck down. Also it’s still a fucking blizzard out there so there’s no way you’re going out in that.” 

There’s a reason why it’s Erwin and Hanji on the corporate trip and not him, like his complete and utter lack of tact. 

Thankfully, despite his shyness, Eren seems overall unbothered by the coarseness of Levi’s declaration, instead smiling at him properly for the first time since he’s come in the door. 

They awkwardly dance around one another in the kitchen (Levi realizes that he’s never actually had to deal with another person in it before—he’s always gone over to his friends houses rather than inviting them over...he should probably fix that). He manages to coax an explanation of the dish and Eren’s tea of choice out of the nervous college student. Truth be told, he retains almost none of it, far too busy panicking at the sheer  _ normalcy  _ that permeates the entire interaction. Having no doubt spent all day cooking, Eren’s already familiarized himself with where the utensils and plates are, getting them out of the drawers and cabinets with ease. If Levi lets himself, he can imagine other nights like this—with the two of them setting out plates for whatever dinner they’ve settled on, exchanging idle chit-chat. The notion is...nice, albeit also terrifying. 

After a few minutes, they’re both seated at the counter eating in silence. 

He’d figured that the food Eren cooked must be at least decent, based upon the smell alone, but it far exceeds any and all expectations. It’s flavorful without being over-spiced or muddy. Levi might not know shit about making food, but he’s an expert in shit food and this...this is not that.

As they eat, he catches Eren glancing at him out of the corners of his eyes, as though he’s trying to gauge Levi’s reaction to the meal. It’s only human, he supposes, to want to know how something you put time and effort into creating is being received. Not that Levi’s been any help in that department, he’s spent years perfecting his stone-faced look for a reason after all. Eren has not learned to do the same because even though he keeps his face tilted down towards his food, Levi can see just how  _ hopeful _ it is, like a puppy or some shit. And suddenly he’s back to feeling a bit like an asshole for not being more forthcoming with just how fucking nice everything about this evening is, because the kid’s clearly not able to decipher it. 

He clears his throat, picking up another garlic knot to occupy his hands. “It’s been quite a while since I had a home cooked meal. I forgot how nice it is. Thank you.”

Eren doesn’t respond for a long moment. “You’re welcome.” It’s not much, but the tension in Levi’s chest eases because Eren gets it. 

It’s a bit unsettling, the sensation of being...understood, but he doesn’t dislike it. 

They finish their meals and at that point Levi realizes he has  _ has _ to intervene because as good as the boy is at cooking, cleaning is and will always be Levi’s domain (and if he’s being entirely honest, it’ll give him something to look at other than just wistfully gazing at Eren’s all too cute face). Though there're more dishes than there ever is after his usual solo dinners, he finds that he doesn’t really mind, scrubbing away at their plates. 

“Where’d you learn to cook like that?” It’s far easier to ask questions like this, with Eren out of view. 

“My mom. And my grandma. They couldn’t keep me out of the kitchen—I was always underfoot—so eventually they started teaching me stuff so I could be at least a little useful.” He answers without hesitation, the grin clear in his voice.“Though I was certainly more of a distraction than a help for most of it.” 

The mental image of tiny-Eren meandering around a kitchen is tooth-rottingly sweet. “Yeah, that seems about right.” 

“You don’t cook at all?” 

He could feel the question coming, but it makes him stiffen all the same. It’s not that he’s embarrassed about the fact. Far from it, honestly. But it still feels strange to volunteer information about his past to someone he’s just met (maybe it’s a sign he needs to ‘get out there’ and ‘meet people,’ or whatever it is that Hanji’s always telling him). “No, when I was younger things were kinda rough for me and my mom, so I never made much time for learning how to cook.” 

“That fucking sucks.” The words are blurted with more confidence than anything else that Eren’s said the entire night and it’s enough to shock a real genuine laugh out of Levi. Seconds later, the kid looks utterly mortified at himself. 

“Yeah, you could say that.” There’s no way to explain to Eren that there’s no better response he could have had to Levi’s admission. Sure, he’s made his peace with his past, but getting past people's reactions is a work in progress at best. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t begun to use it as a metric of sorts of new acquaintances—if they responded with the sort of cloying sympathy he’s grown begrudgingly used to, they quickly got shuffled into the category of ‘well-meaning people he wants absolutely nothing to do with.’ This though—something blunt and honest—this is something he can work with. It isn’t far off the equally loud declaration Hanji made when they first found out: ‘Thank fuck that’s over with then. Pass the tequila, would you?’ Polite? Certainly not. But politeness has always made his skin crawl anyway. 

Clearly, Eren doesn’t grasp any of this and resorts to hiding behind his mug of tea and peering over his shoulder at the dark windows. Sometime during dinner, the raging storm cleared out, leaving nothing but a crisp, black night. In the distance the city glows orange and white, breaking up the smooth skyline. 

“The storm’s passed.” 

Eren jumps, looking back in his direction and smiling sheepishly. He nods but doesn’t speak. 

Levi’s eyes wander to the clock on the living room wall. Shit, it’s gotten late, far later than he thought it had. Were it any other night, he’d have already showered and would be settling in to either read or watch some spectacularly trashy reality television before calling it a night. Exciting no, but he’s got work in the morning and while he can function on little sleep, it’ not pretty.

Besides, he realizes with a sinking feeling, he’s not the only one here with a life to get back to. In actuality, Eren probably has far more of a life than he does. But, if there’s anything he’s learned over the course of the day it's that Eren is  _ nice _ . So heart-wrenchingly nice that he’ll probably not mention anything even if he needs to leave. 

Swallowing, Levi resigns himself to being the adult in the situation. “Don’t take this the wrong way. But my guess is that your roommate—even if he really is a complete jackass—is probably a little worried about you by now.” 

Eren pulls his phone from his pocket, eyes widening as he scrolls through what Levi guesses is an impressive collection of worried texts. “Er, yeah….” 

“Well, as nice as it is having you around here, you have a life to get back to and I have another fucking conference call in the morning because my colleges are sadists.” He’s shooting for dry wit but it comes out more exhausted than anything. 

“Ah, yeah, that makes sense.” Eren stands with a frown. If Levi was an optimist he might think that maybe, just maybe, the kid is  _ disappointed _ that their little dinner party is over. Levi is not an optimist though—he’s a staunch realist at best—and so he brushes it off as Eren instead realizing just how late it is. He’s probably got homework, or whatever it is college is made up of (even though he graduated with honors, his college years are a blur at best). 

“I’ll give you a ride back to campus, it’s not a long drive and who the hell knows what the buses are like in this shit…” he says, trailing off as he realizes that absolutely  _ none _ of it is getting through to the other man, who’s seemingly lost, gazing out the window at the occasionally falling flakes of snow. “Oi, kid, anything I’m saying getting through?” 

Eren blinks rapidly, as though coming out of a daze. “Not really, sorry.” 

He doesn’t mind. Really, he’s more curious about what’s whirring away inside Eren’s head. Though he’s been told that he’s ‘the definition of a closed book’ according to his sister, Isabel, he supposes Eren is the same in an entirely different way. Less that he’s keeping his thoughts to himself and more...slipping away into another reality. “You’re in your own world a good bit, huh?” 

As soon as he says it, he knows it’s the wrong thing to say. Eren winces, looking away. “Yeah, I get that a lot. Sorry.” 

He reaches up and flicks Eren’s forehead, forcing away the pinched lines between his brows (shit, he’s got really smooth skin). “Did I say it was a bad thing?” 

“No?” 

Levi rolls his eyes before walking to the entryway. “Exactly. So cut the ‘sorry’ shit out.”

That gets a soft laugh out of him. “Got it!” 

He looks over the small collection of coats tucked away in the entryway. By his estimation, his shoulders are a good bit broader than Eren’s and so his jackets would fit him in theory, but he’s certain that most of them would be too short for his long arms. Thankfully, there’s a heavy duster shoved towards the back that Erwin seems hellbent on never taking back to his own apartment. 

Just as he’s about to leave with the coat in his arms, his eyes catch on a warm emerald scarf gifted to him by Isabel and Farlan on his birthday. It’s one of his favorites, warm but not itchy or overly thick. But he doesn’t pick it out for that reason—instead he’s thinking about how perfectly it’ll compliment Eren’s bright eyes (maybe it’s time to give up on convincing himself that he’s anything but smitten). 

He walks back to Eren and passes him the coat. As he’d thought, it’s more than large enough, dwarfing his lanky frame. There’s something horribly endearing about the way that Eren fiddles with the sleeves as they fall past his hands. 

Before he overthinks it, he loops the scarf around Eren’s neck, tucking it into his collar. It’s an accident when his fingertips brush against his neck, making a blush rise on the other man's face. 

If this was a romcom, he’d say something poetic here, about fate or some shit. Maybe he’d thank Eren for sweeping into his too-quiet night and filing his too-empty apartment with warmth. It isn't though, so he doesn’t. Instead he allows himself a flicker of a smile, before stepping away. 

“Is this your coat?” He tilts his head to the side, like some sort of overgrown puppy. 

“No. It’s my friend, Erwin’s. He’s a fucking giant.” 

He nods, nuzzling his face into the scarf. “He won’t mind?” 

Levi shakes his head and scoffs. “No, those things have been taking up room in my closet since last winter. The bastard forgets to take it back every time he’s here.” 

If he doesn’t get moving, he’s certain he’s going to say something foolish, so he turns around and heads for the door.

“Eh, Levi? What exactly is going on?” 

“Isn’t it obvious?” He pauses, pulling the door open. “The roads shouldn’t be complete shit by now. I’m going to drive you to wherever you need to go? I assume that’s your apartment, or dorm, or whatever?”

“You don’t have to do that,” Eren says, following Levi out of the apartment and onto the landing at the top of the stairs. 

“You didn’t have to make me dinner.” He raises a brow at the other man. 

“Yeah, but that's….” He trails off and sighs. 

Honestly, Levi muses, Eren’s stubborn desire for independence reminds him a little bit of how he used to be. They walk in silence down the stairs and out into the chilly night. 

Though the snow's nearly let up entirely, the chill hasn’t lessened. Their mingling breaths make little clouds as they walk through the car (there’s at least a few more inches since he was out here last—he’s going to have to get up even earlier to shovel himself out in the morning). 

Eren blinks in surprise at the car, muttering a soft ‘wow,’ as he pulls open the passenger door. Even though he’s really not one for material gloating, Levi can’t resist smirking at the boy as he gets in. He starts the car, cranking up the heat and fiddling with the radio till he finds something relatively acceptable (it’s classical which he’s certain makes him seem even older than Eren probably thinks he is, but, hey, he likes Vivaldi). All the while he does his best to quench the rising embarrassment at Eren’s blatant watching of his ever move. The boy was trying to be subtle, but that's hard when you’re sitting directly next to one another. 

“So, you gonna give me an address?” Even though he speaks quietly, he still sounds too-loud in the quiet car. 

“Ah of course!” Eren tells him his address and he's relieved to realize that shit, the kid’s only a few blocks from his work. He’s mid-self indulgent fantasy about the two of them meeting up on their respective lunch breaks at the very good tea shop that’s also quiet nearby, when he realizes that Eren’s in fact talking to him. Thankfully, it’s not hard to catch up and he tunes back in just as he’s explaining the antics that he and his two best friends got into as kids. 

“They sound alright, for a bunch of brats,” Levi says, once Eren’s finished. “Friends can be annoying as hell, but….” he trails off and shakes his head. Eren’s little trio reminds him of Isabel and Farlan, who he really really needed to stop procrastinating on calling about orchestrating their flights back to their hometown.

“But they’re worth it. Yeah they can be difficult because you never really know what someone else is thinking but that’s why they’re interesting too. And sometimes the people that seem like they’d be the most difficult to get along with, or the most different than ourselves are the people that add the most meaning to our lives.” It’s a little rambling but the determination is clear in his voice, eyes sharp. 

“Hmm.” 

“I honestly don’t get why they put up with me, because I’ve gotten us into enough trouble for ten people, but I know I can always count on them. That’s why even though we’re far away from one another, I’m not going to let them go. No matter what—”

“And if they want to be let go? Or if it just happens? What are you going to do about it then, kid?” He has no idea why he wants to contradict his point so badly. Why he wants to push him to see just how much he really believes what he says (the fucking idealist, Levi’s already certain that he won’t back down from it. Underneath all the blushy smiles and soft knitwear, he gets the feeling that Eren’s a lot more iron-willed than he lets on).

“I’m not going to give up on them. Sometimes, I think at least, that you have to accept that not all relationships are easy—that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it though.”

Eren’s words hit like a punch to the throat, and it’s all Levi can do to keep his eyes on the road and his mouth from gaping open. He can’t tell if the kid is intentionally going for his emotional jugular or not, but it doesn’t really matter since he nailed it either way. 

“That’s a hell of a way to live,” he grits out.

They fall back into silence, which is a relief since he’s mind is racing far too fast to be able to keep up with any semblance of a conversation. 

Levi knows that he’s many things (‘like a workaholic and a clean freak and maybe a little to invested in his cat’ his Hanji-like concience points out cheerfully) but he is  _ not a fucking coward _ , that much is certain. He’s lived through enough shit for two lifetimes and lived to tell the story. Hell, he’s calmest hanging from the side of a cliff with no ropes for fuck’s sake. So why is the revelation that maybe he actually should say something to Eren before the kid walks out of his life forever, making his hands clammy? 

The sight of the street his office is on jolts him out of his internal tug of war. “We should be close. Any of this look familiar?” 

Eren squints, peering around. “Yeah, this is only a few blocks from my area. I’m on Gordon Ave.” 

“Hm, got it.” 

Shit, shit, shit, that’s  _ too  _ close. They’ll be there in less than a minute, which is seriously not enough time for his frenzied mental debate. 

“I’m the big one on the right.” 

He sees the building Eren’s pointing to—it’s a big blocky brick building. Erwin would probably be able to tell you what era the architecture’s from, but Levi’s just certain that it looks like shit, whatever it is. 

This is it though, he realizes with a lurch as he parks. This is the part where Eren gets out of his car and they go their separate ways. No harm, no foul. Simply. Easy. So why, pray tell, is he opening his mouth and blurting out: “Hey, kid, do you want to get coffee or whatever the fuck it is you drink sometime?” 

He’s not even sure that Eren understands his question though, because at the very same time, the kid says, “So I’m pretty sure I’m gonna get dragged to a bunch more shitty parties by Jean so maybe I could, like, I don’t know, get your number just in case?” 

Silence. Then the car’s filled with Eren’s soft, adorable laughter and Levi’s grinning and even though it’s going to make him cringe later when he has to relay this story to literally everyone he knows, he really doesn’t care. All the embarrassment is worth it for the shy smile Eren gives him once his laughter dies down. 

He swallows dryly. “Well, that’s good then.” 

Eren nods, and fumbles around with his phone for a moment before shoving it into Levi’s hands. “I’m free this weekend? If you really want to get coffee, or tea, or something.” 

None of it feels real, but Levi manages to nod. “Sounds good.” 

They both go silent again, smiling at one another. It’s only when his watch beeps loudly, a reminder that he should be getting into bed right now, that Levi sighs. “Not to kick you out, but—” 

Eren rolls his eyes but nods all the same. “But you have work and I have a roommate to notify of my survival. Don’t worry. “Thanks for all the help, Levi.” 

“You don’t have to keep—” 

Before Levi can finish, Eren leans over and presses a brief kiss against his temple. “I’ll see you this weekend, ‘kay?” 

All he can do is sit there, too shocked to reply as Eren shoots him one last grin before hopping out of the car and striding toward the building. He looks back over his shoulder and waves with a wink, before slipping through the double doors. 

Levi slumps forward, and accidentally bangs his head on the steering wheel, making the horn honk loudly. He sincerely hopes that Eren didn’t see that but there’s a twisting feeling in his chest that seems to insist the opposite. 

This is going to be a trend, he realizes. Eren being cute and him acting like a fucking idiot because of it. Levi can’t say he minds. 

At least he’ll have something interesting to report at his next conference call.

**Author's Note:**

> hey!! i hope you guys enjoy this little remix of the last work in this series (i seriously hope it isn't too repetitive, I really tried to have their POVs sound distinct). thank you for all your support and kind comments, stay safe!! 💕💕


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